Letters to the editor for Feb. 16, 2013

Published: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 7:41 p.m.

Gov. Rick Scott and University of Florida President Bernie Machen are reportedly trying to find the money to bring UF into the list of top-10 public universities.

Naturally, the state Legislature will have a lot to say about this and already there are rumblings that other components of the State University System should not be left out in the cold.

For all 12 of them to be top 10 is, of course, a mathematical impossibility. Perhaps Scott and Machen should temper their ambitions a bit and settle for top 12.

That way, no one will be left out. The individual universities can fight it out among themselves for placement in the rankings the way they do now in intercollegiate sports.

Charles M. Sommerfield,

Gainesville

Complete ban

Are we to hope and pray that President Obama's partial weapons ban will work anywhere as well as the complete weapons ban is working in Chicago?

Walter Coyle,

Wellborn

More immoral

So Joe Little (Sun, Feb. 11) thinks that “killing by drones from thousands of miles away is the most immoral form of killing yet invented?”

So that is more immoral than flying a plane full of people into a building and killing thousands? Or setting off a bomb in a public area, killing innocent bystanders? Really?

Patrick Reakes,

Gainesville

Reason for trouble

It's a failure of Congress and the media not to focus on why the Postal Service is in financial trouble.

In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was passed by a Republican Congress. It stated that the fiscally independent Postal Service could become more competitive in pricing, yet had to stop using savings to reduce postal debt.

In addition, the Postal Service would have to fund its pension plan 75 years into the future. If this restriction was lifted, it would give the service a $1 billion surplus.

Why do we focus on email and the price of stamps when all we need to do is look at how Congress is trying to bankrupt and destroy a federal, though independent, institution?

Why are we talking about cutting services and jobs, good-paying jobs often held by minorities and women, when all that needs to happen is for Congress to lift this ridiculous funding requirement?

<p><b>Why not top 12?</b></p><p>Gov. Rick Scott and University of Florida President Bernie Machen are reportedly trying to find the money to bring UF into the list of top-10 public universities.</p><p>Naturally, the state Legislature will have a lot to say about this and already there are rumblings that other components of the State University System should not be left out in the cold.</p><p>For all 12 of them to be top 10 is, of course, a mathematical impossibility. Perhaps Scott and Machen should temper their ambitions a bit and settle for top 12.</p><p>That way, no one will be left out. The individual universities can fight it out among themselves for placement in the rankings the way they do now in intercollegiate sports.</p><p><i>Charles M. Sommerfield,</p><p>Gainesville</i></p><p><b>Complete ban</b></p><p>Are we to hope and pray that President Obama's partial weapons ban will work anywhere as well as the complete weapons ban is working in Chicago?</p><p><i>Walter Coyle,</p><p>Wellborn</i></p><p><b>More immoral</b></p><p>So Joe Little (Sun, Feb. 11) thinks that “killing by drones from thousands of miles away is the most immoral form of killing yet invented?”</p><p>So that is more immoral than flying a plane full of people into a building and killing thousands? Or setting off a bomb in a public area, killing innocent bystanders? Really?</p><p><i>Patrick Reakes,</p><p>Gainesville</i></p><p><b>Reason for trouble</b></p><p>It's a failure of Congress and the media not to focus on why the Postal Service is in financial trouble.</p><p>In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was passed by a Republican Congress. It stated that the fiscally independent Postal Service could become more competitive in pricing, yet had to stop using savings to reduce postal debt.</p><p>In addition, the Postal Service would have to fund its pension plan 75 years into the future. If this restriction was lifted, it would give the service a $1 billion surplus.</p><p>Why do we focus on email and the price of stamps when all we need to do is look at how Congress is trying to bankrupt and destroy a federal, though independent, institution?</p><p>Why are we talking about cutting services and jobs, good-paying jobs often held by minorities and women, when all that needs to happen is for Congress to lift this ridiculous funding requirement?</p><p><i>Chelsea Hetelson,</p><p>Gainesville</i></p>